


Pure Heart Heroes: Oneshots

by Ilikeeggs



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Bad Dreams, Bad Parenting, Best Friends, Bullying, Child Neglect, Dad Mao Mao, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Found Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Heart Warming, Heroes of Pure Heart, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Love, Platonic Relationships, Self-Doubt, Supportive Mao Mao, oneshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 03:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20668400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilikeeggs/pseuds/Ilikeeggs
Summary: Multiple oneshots centered around Mao Mao, Adorabat, and Badgerclops. Join them as they go through silly shenanigans and pained pasts.





	1. Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mao Mao begins to open up to Blue.

Mao Mao sighed as he trudged his way through Pure Heart Kingdom; it was Thursday, his therapy day. 

He cringed at the thought of what his father would say about this, he always told Mao that expressing his feelings were a sigh of weakness.

No, Mao couldn’t think like that, there was nothing wrong with showing your love. There was nothing wrong with sharing your feelings. Badgerclops always told him that it was nice to do those things.

When the samurai cat entered Blue’s office a strong smell of tea hit his nose. The room had a relaxing atmosphere to it; it felt like a safe place.

Everything he said in this room would stay in this room. That was a promise.

Blue put down his book and greeted Mao Mao, “Welcome, have a seat.” He said in his usual dull voice. 

Mao sat down as he did every time he went to therapy. He made sure Geraldine was tucked away safely before complexly relaxing.

Blue cleared his throat, “How has everything been? Your home life, I mean. I see you do your job every day.”

Mao Mao gave him a small smile, “Everything is going good. I have my best friend, my daughter figure, Geraldine...” The black cat suddenly blushed, “I uh, pretend I didn’t say that last part. Anyway, my home life is great, I love my family.”

Blue nodded, “I’m glad to hear that because today I think we should be discussing other things.” Mao gave him a confused look, “We’ve been having these sessions for a few weeks now and I would like you to try to open up to me a little more. I want you to tell me about your childhood.”

Mao visibly flinched. He started getting bits and pieces of flashbacks from his kittenhood. He took a deep breath; Mao didn’t want to embarrass himself again. He still shivered at the memory of yelling out “Daddy” in front of the Sweetie Pies.

Mao Mao’s whiskers went up as he spoke, “As you probably know, I come from a family of legendary warriors. I want live up to that name and become a legend. I-I really want to impress my father.” He looked towards Blue who was still listening to him. Mao continued,

“As a kitten, I looked up to my sisters as well, all five of them. But I feel like my dad gave them more attention. Sometimes I would even cry over it, I-It hurt.”

Mao Mao tried to regain his composure; he would never make it as a legend if he broke down like this!

Oh no, he felt tears in his eyes. He was going to cry! What would his daddy think?

Before Mao could think about what he would say, Blue spoke,

“Thank you for telling me that. Your need to impress your family comes from the physiological neglect and abuse you experienced as a child. Sharing your emotions is important for our health. Remember, Badgerclops and Adorabat love you, they’re impressed with you. That is what’s important.”

Blue put down his notepad and looked at his client, “I’m also impressed with you.”

Mao Mao grinned at his approval and stood up to make his way out. The black cat smiled again, “See you next week, Blue?”

Blue walked him out, “Yes, take care.”

Mao responded with a quick “you too.” as he ran back home. He was excited to go home and spend time with his family before another day of hero work tomorrow.

When he did arrive home, he was greeted with a hug from Adorabat and a chattering Badgerclops, they were happy to see him home a little early.

They all sat down to watch TV with Adorabat sitting on Mao Mao’s lap and Badgerclops right next to them. They were all cuddled together, ready to pick out something to watch.

Half way into the movie they were watching, Adorabat started to fall asleep. Before she closed her eyes, she yawned, “Goodnight Badgerclops.” She looked at Mao Mao before closing her eyes, “Goodnight, dad…” She fell asleep.

Badgerclops smiled in awe at how cute the little blue bat was. Mao felt a warm feeling in his heart at the title of Dad. He kissed Adorabat on her forehead and he smiled, “Sweet dreams, my little deputy.”

He knew he was a better dad then his father. Mao knew he had become the hero he wanted to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first piece!


	2. Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mao Mao never thought he could be so angry yet scared at the same time.

In the early morning of Pure Heart Valley, the Sheriff’s department household was inside, eating breakfast and watching TV. Adorabat had insisted that she make food that morning, which resulted in the family eating charred ketchup filled eggs. 

Nevertheless, Mao Mao and Badgerclops ate the food; they didn’t want to hurt Adorabat’s feelings.

So as they ate the food and talked to one another, Mao resisted the urge to puke a hairball right there on the spot. When the heroes heard the phone ring, Badgerclops rose out of his seat to go answer it.

The samurai cat quickly ran past Badgerclops on all fours to get it himself, he wanted a subtle excuse to get out of eating his food.

The cyborg bear chuckled, “Dude, are you okay?”

Mao’s eyes narrowed at him as he picked up the phone, “I’m fine! I just need to answer the phone.”

Adorabat giggled at their antiques, and snorted with laughter when she saw Mao straighten his back, and talk in a slightly deeper voice into the phone.

“Pure Heart Valley, Sheriff’s department speaking.” Mao Mao answered with confidence.

There was slight static on the other end of the phone, then a voice.

“Moo- Mao Mao, is that you?”

Said cat jumped up when he heard the familiar voice, it couldn’t be, was that his father?

In a moment of panic and desperation, Mao Mao slammed the phone down and off.

Why was his heart beating so fast? Why was it so hot? Why was it hard to breath?

He felt sick, like he was going to throw up. Why? Why was he feeling this way?

He could see a small black kitten, crying in the corner of a room. Mao could see his tears pouring down his face; he could see the absolute emotional pain in the child’s eyes. Mao Mao felt his heart race even faster; he felt his own tears streaming down his face.

He wanted it to end! He so desperately wanted the neglect to end! Why didn’t his dad love him? Why did he make his kittenhood terrible and then have the audacity to call him as an adult?

Through all his tears and hallucinations, Mao Mao felt big furry arms wrap around him. He felt the gentle kisses on his forehead of a certain bat child. He could just barely make out their words.

“It’s okay, It’s okay. Take deep breathes. We’re here for you, man.”

“Dad, don’t cry! I’m gonna cry! I love you!”

As a result of Adorabat and Badgerclops’s comfort, Mao Mao eventually calmed down. He panted as he tried to take deep breathes. It was over, he didn’t hear his father’s voice anymore, and he didn’t hear him dismissing him. Mao didn’t hear him. It was over.

He looked at his two friends, no, he looked at his family. This was his family, the people who truly cared for him and loved him. They were the people who he would do anything for; all of them would sacrifice anything to save one another.

Thankfully, the monster alarm didn’t go off the rest of the day. The three of them spent their time resting on the couch, and calming down Mao when the phone rang.

They ignored most calls, but it turned out a couple of the calls were from the King checking on them.

Later in the evening, Badgerclops gently spoke to Mao, “If you ever want to talk about it, we’re here. But we would never force you to say anything.”

Adorabat snuggled closer to her father figure, “Yeah! We love you Mao Mao!”

The sheriff smiled at their words, knowing that it truly was going to be okay. He had a family, a _real_ family.

He hugged the both of them, “I love you guys too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comment if you've enjoyed this heart wrenching scene. Take care!


	3. Bullied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adorabat has a bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Bullying

Most days in Pure Heart Valley are warm and peaceful, and today wasn’t any different.

It was the perfect weather for children to go out and play, adult Sweetypies ushered their little ones outside to go and have fun.

Adorabat loved playing with other children but most days she had to fight monsters with Mao Mao and Badgerclops.

However, today was not one of those days, it was 2 P.M and not a single alarm went off. Excited by her chance, Adorabat asked her dads if she could go out and play. Badgerclops was fine with it, so was Mao but he didn’t spare her any rules.

Many things were established to keep the baby bat safe, everything from don’t cross the road (She could fly across), to never help someone find their lost puppy.

When Mao was sure all 358 rules were mentioned, he let her on her way. Adorabat hugged them and left, humming a happy tune.

After falling asleep to Mao Mao’s lecture, Badgerclops woke up, “You really are overprotective of her, aren’t you dude?” He chuckled.

Mao nodded, “I would never let anything happen to her, ever.”

…

After only a couple of hours, Adorabat came home quietly. She smelled the fresh food in the kitchen Badgerclops was making. Ok, it looked like her cost was clear.

She tip-toed to the bedroom, flinching at every creak the floor boards made. When she made it inside, she sighed in relief.

Adorabat flew over to her bed, she wanted nothing more than to just lie down and forget this whole day.

Suddenly, she heard light footsteps. Mao Mao entered the room!

The child tried to stay quiet, she really did, but when she saw her dad Adorabat started to cry.

Mao flinched at the noise and snatched up Geraldine, ready to defend himself. However when he saw it was just Adorabat, his heart shattered.

Right there in front of him was a sight he never wanted to see. To see his child lying in bed, a sobbing mess, with tears pouring down her face. Mao Mao swore he would never get this image out of his head.

He immediately dropped his treasured katana, scooping up his child in his arms. Nothing in the world was more important than Adorabat.

He rubbed her back and gently shushed her as he rocked back and forth. Now that he thinks about it, he always wanted his father to do this to him. He never got that love from his father, but he could give it all to Adorabat, he would give every single drop of love he had to his child.

When she stopped crying, her sadness just reduced to occasional sniffles, she spoke,

“Dad? Y-You would never leave me, right?”

Mao Mao answered with no hesitation whatsoever, “I would never, honey. I would never leave you, even if my life was at stake. You and Badgerclops are stuck with me.” He lightly chuckled at his last statement.

He kissed her forehead, “Now, who did this to you?” He asked, rage burning inside him. Now that he had a good angle of her face, he could see fresh bruises and streaks of tears and dirt.

Mao Mao got so mad; he nearly lost his entire cool. He kept it inside though, he wasn’t mad at Adorabat, it was _never_ at her. 

The child closed her eyes, resting her head against Mao, “I-It was these mean kids. I was playing with Ketchup and Pinky but these kids just showed up. Before you and Badgerclops, I didn’t have any parents. They called me a dumb orphan and they said y-you would eventually leave me!”

She started sobbing once again and Mao Mao’s heart broke. He hugged her tightly as she continued explaining,

“Then when I said, ‘He would never do that!’ They started beating me up and Ketchup tried to intervene but they hurt her too! I wanted to defend myself but I know Heroes don’t hurt people so I just ran away…”

Mao Mao wiped away her tears, trying desperately to make his little Adorabat feel better. He hugged her, never wanting to let go.

Mao Mao already had a plan on what to do as he talked gently to Adorabat, “I’m so sorry, Adorabat. I-I wish I was there when it happened. Heroes do have to hurt the bad guys sometimes; defending yourself would have been more than fine.” He explained as he held her close.

He tucked her in bed, “I would never leave you. I love you.” Mao Mao smiled.

She yawned, “I love you too, Mao Mao.”

After reading the little blue bat a nap-time story, Mao Mao left the room and grabbed his katana. The feline approached Badgerclops who he knew had overheard Adorabat’s sobs.

Mao Mao gripped his weapon tight and walked towards the door; he spoke to Badgerclops without turning around.

“Honey…” He jokingly said, “Save my dinner, I’ve got some kids to talk to.”

Badgerclops gave him an confused look and Mao continued.

“Yes, I’m just gonna talk to them. I’m just gonna talk to them.”

Mao Mao rushed out the door and Badgerclops nonchalantly sat down, only partly oblivious to what his friend was going to do.

“Be back by eight, dude!”


	4. Being a Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mao Mao has been acting strangely lately.

To put it simply, Mao Mao has been acting differently lately. Oddly enough, it was almost as if he was a regular cat. Badgerclops and Adorabat couldn’t possibly think of him that way; he was a hero, a legend! He wasn’t a house cat, right?

…

Adorabat was happily sitting on the sofa, watching her favorite show, when Mao Mao jumped up next to her. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but she soon yelped in shock when he started licking her behind the ears.

Adorabat giggled, “Dad, what are you doing?”

Mao continued to clean her as he purred, “I’m just cleaning you, kitten.” He said sweetly. The legend-to-be proceeded to try and move Adorabat. He used his teeth and picked her up by the scruff.

She yelped again, “That hurts!”

Mao Mao immediately released her, “I’m sorry, Adorabat!” He cuddled her as he purred, still occasionally cleaning her. 

Adorabat enjoyed the attention but she couldn’t help wonder why Mao Mao was acting this way.

…

Badgerclops was humbly cooking dinner, adding ingredients as time went by. He was cooking his best meal, spaghetti! He was so excited, he liked to cook but he loved eating the food even more!

The Badger just noticed that he spilled a little water so he jogged to the other side of the room to get a towel.

In the dining room, Mao Mao was filling out paperwork. When he smelled Badgerclops’s famous meatballs, he dropped his pen and ran into the kitchen.

The black cat jumped onto the counter and started to swipe at the meat, trying to get a bite of one. Mao Mao’s timing was off however, and Badgerclops came back into the room surprised.

“Man, what are you doing?” Badgerclops exclaimed.

Mao looked like a deer caught in the headlights and he hopped down. Badgerclops stuttered in surprise,

“Dude, what was that!” He asked, laughing.

Mao Mao’s eyes became slits and he ran out the room on all fours. The cyborg badger continued to laugh, all the while scratching his head in confusion.

…

Adorabat and Badgerclops were sitting in the living room, facing each other and having a conversation. Adorabat would giggle every time he would make a joke or poke her, just to check it was her, not one of her mold shells.

Mao lazily sat down between his two friends and yawned. Suddenly, he pawed at Badgerclops and gave a low growl.

Badgerclops was stunned, “Dude, what’s your problem?” He asked.

Mao Mao started purring and cuddled next to his loved ones, “Guys, did I ever tell ya the time I sneezed?” He said, completely ignoring Badgerclops’ question.

Adorabat tilted her head, “Mao Mao, what are you talking about?” Her wing brushed against some green powder that was on Mao’s cape.

The child’s eyes widened and she showed Badgerclops, giving him a knowing look.

Once again, out of the blue, Mao Mao pawed at Adorabat, still purring all the while. The bat used her wings to shield herself and that’s when Badgerclops decided that was enough.

He picked up Mao, “I think it’s time when get you to bed. You need to sleep off this catnip.” He stated.

Mao Mao’s mood switched back to his relaxed one, “Okay.” He said simply, passing out. He added dead weight much to his carrier’s displeasure.

Badgerclops groaned, “Can you help me get him to bed?” He turned towards Adorabat.

Happily, the little blue bat helped out, looking forward to telling this all to Mao in the morning. He would probably remember anyways but she couldn’t wait to share laughs about this with him.

Adorabat smiled, she was so lucky to have her two adoptive dads. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please give me your feedback! What can I improve on and what did I do well? I


	5. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mao Mao has some emotional baggage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This contains past child abuse and neglect.

In the quiet peaceful night of the Valley, inside the famous H.Q on the hill, three heroes were soundly sleeping. All looked well on the surface.

A few minutes pass, an hour passes, then suddenly, the sound of a painful groan fills the sound of the night.

…

…

_“Daddy, look what I found!”_

_A small kitten’s cheers echoed in the brisk training walls. Mao Mao hoped up and down excitedly, dancing from one paw to the other. In the child’s hands lay a multi colored rock, something with seemingly no worth._

_However, to a small child, everything was valuable. A new discovery meant more fun._

_Shin Mao didn’t look too pleased to have his meditation interrupted. He sighed with force, “Moo Moo, whatever it is that you’ve found, I doubt it means anything enough to interrupt my practice.”_

_The child gave him a confused look but then smiled while tugging on his father’s cape, “I’m Mao Mao, daddy, I’m not a cow!” He giggled, his innocence prevented him from understanding that his father really didn’t care too much about him. _

_Shin Mao grabbed his son’s paw and pointed towards inside the rest of the house, “I don’t need you bothering me right now! Go get your sisters and tell them that it’s time for their training.” He ordered._

_Mao’s eyes stopped shining and he frowned, his sisters always got more attention than him! It wasn’t fair!_

_Either way, he knew better than to disobey his parent, Mao Mao sniffled, “Okay daddy.”_

_~~~_

_Years later, when Mao Mao was a teenager, about 15 years old, he was packing his stuff. He was off to train on his own to become a legendary hero. He was just so tired of his father’s neglect._

_But no matter what his family did to him, he would always admire them and even love them. He would always tell great stories about them because they were amazing! His family was truly way better than him; he would always believe that he had to somehow catch up to them. _

_The teen’s bedroom door flew open and he groaned out of frustration. Haven’t his sisters learned to knock yet? _

_When the aspiring hero looked over his shoulder, he was surprised to see it was his scarfed sister. Usually, it was his other siblings that came to bother him._

_Mao Mao just shrugged, “What do you want?” He asked in his developing deeper voice._

_The flying cat walked up to him and her eyes became slits, “No one else knows but I do.” She said vaguely, “I know you plan to run away.” _

_Mao Mao slightly flinched but he turned to face his sister and crossed his arms, “What do you care?” He asked with irritation, “Besides, I’m not running away forever. I’m simply going off to fulfill my dream.” _

_His litter mate gave him a knowing look, “And that would be?” _

_Mao stomped his foot, “It’s none of your business! Stop bothering me!” He was about to race out of the room when his sister placed a paw on his shoulder._

_Her voice was low yet caring, “I know, brother, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to stop you, I just want to let you know that I care about you and wish you safe travels. I know you’re angry at us but please try to understand that we, well me at least, never asked for father to push you aside. I love you, brother.”_

_Mao Mao held back tears of frustration, why is she just telling him this now! If… If she really loved him she would have told him earlier, right?_

_Angry tears in his eyes were now visible, “Yeah, whatever,” He took her paw off himself, “Don’t touch me.” _

_With that statement, he left. _

_Mao Mao really wished he told her how much he actually loved her too. He really wished he said goodbye._

…

Mao Mao gasped for air as he shot up from bed, his head hitting the upper bunk. Mao screamed in frustration. Why, why, why did he not say goodbye? Why does everything hurt both physically and emotionally?

The adult cat winced and cried out as the bedroom light turned on. He started to bang his head on the bars from his dumb choice.

** _Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did you have to scream and wake up every one? You’re so stupid!_ **

Adorabat and Badgerclops sat down next to him and offered him comfort. They let scream and punch the bed to let out his frustration. They did everything possible to make him calmer.

As soon as he was done letting out his frustration, he allowed his friends to hug him as he let it all out.

After a few minutes, when Mao Mao was completely calm, Adorabat and Badgerclops spoke. The giant Badger asked the cat first.

“Dude, if it’s okay for me to ask, what was the dream about that got you so upset? We were worried, man.”

“Are you okay now, Mao Mao?” Adorabat asked next.

He looked to his chosen family and peacefully sighed, “No, I’m actually not okay.”

It all started with that statement, it lead to him talking to them until dawn. He told them everything about the dream in every little detail and his friends listened with no intention of leaving him.

Mao Mao filled them in on some events that happened in his childhood, to the flashbacks, to his dreams. He was completely honest and open to the two people he trusted most.

After talking for hours and receiving support, Mao came up with one conclusion.

He truly felt much better.


	6. Bro's Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two awesome dudes hanging out for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Very mild talk of female biology

Mao Mao and Badgerclops eagerly sat down on the living room couch as they chatted aimlessly. They were so excited; it was Monday night so that meant it was time for their weekly Bro Time.

The black cat chuckled as they talked about their most recent battle, and how Badgerclops made a weird soup with the monster’s jelly. It was disgusting though and tasted nothing like their delicious Jelly Cake.

The cyborg bear turned on the TV, making sure the volume was low so they didn’t wake Adorabat.

Mao kept his focus on the show as he felt around the couch, searching for his and Badgerclops’ secret food stash.

“Ah-Ha!” The legendary hero exclaimed as he pulled out two unopened bags of chips. He gave one to his friend before leaning back and relaxing.

Badgerclops laughed, “Dude, you seem to be in a better mood lately, want to share what’s on your mind?” He asked, munching on a few chips.

Mao Mao grinned, “I just had had a good week, that’s all. I had a nice session with Blue the other day, followed up with a successful mission today with you and Adorabat.” He explained while slowly eating his snack.

His friend smiled in return, “I’m glad, man. It seems like things are going our way lately. And yeah, that monster was pretty easy today. The funny thing is that it looked pretty bad, like it just started puberty or something.” He joked, not really meaning any insult by it. They were just two dudes having fun.

Mao burst out laughing, “Yeah, that monster did look kind of weird.” He admitted before collecting himself, “But wow, don’t get me wrong, I love kids but I am not looking forward to Adorabat getting older and going through puberty, if bats even go through that developmental stage anyways.”

The badger raised an eyebrow, “I think they do but what would happen to her anyways? What even happens to females when they reach that stage of life?” He asked, having absolutely no clue what to expect from his adoptive daughter.

Mao Mao just shrugged, “I don’t know, probably something very similar to what males go through. I honestly have no idea.”

Badgerclops continued to listen to him as he set up a video game for them to play; he paused when he heard Mao’s last statement.

He was immensely confused, “Dude, do you mean to tell me that you grew up with five older sisters and have no idea what happens?”

The samurai cat tilted his head slightly, “I didn’t really pay attention. I just remember them screaming, running, for some reason crying, and late night visits to a pharmacy. They also got into fights, I guess? There were telltale signs of a battle on their clothes.” He shook his head, still confused himself.

Badgerclops was going to question him further but decided it wasn’t important. The two heroes sat together once again and began to play a video game.

After only a couple minutes, Badgerclops broke the silence, “I’m really glad we can have these nights. It really is fun just talking to you about anything and playing games together.” He said kindly, smiling down at his friend.

Mao Mao agreed, it was good to take a break from training once and a while. If taking occasional breaks made his friends happy, then he would do anything to make sure all of them had some relaxation time.

The two shared a hug, cherishing their friendship and all the happiness it brought.


	7. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little friend comes back to visit.

On another beautiful sunny day, the Pure Heart heroes were outside, lounging in the local park. They were all enjoying their break; monsters haven’t appeared for a few days because of the warm weather.

Adorabat giggles as she catches a ball Badgerclops threw at her, before tossing it back, continuing the cycle of their catching game. After only a few minutes however, the small girl frowned when she looked towards Mao Mao.

She flew over and sat on his lap, “Mao, can you please come and play with me and Badgerclops?” She asked in her sweetest voice.

Mao Mao resisted the urge to squeal at his child’s cuteness, “Sorry, Adorabat, I have to keep a watch out for monsters. I’ll join another time.” He replied.

Badgerclops ran over to his partners and raised a brow at his older friend, “Dude, we haven’t had a monster attack, in like, 4 days. Why don’t you relax and spend time with us? It won’t be that long.” He stated with a smile.

As the katana wielder was about to relent and agree, screaming at the front of the valley gained their attention.

Mao Mao grinned and grabbed his sword, “It’s time for some action, team!” He exclaimed as he ran ahead eagerly.

Adorabat and Badgerclops followed after him, thinking the same thought of, “_Does Mao even have a life besides fighting monsters?” _

As they snickered at their joke, the two of eventually caught up with Mao Mao and were equally shocked at the sight before them

It was Bao Bao.

The little dog was sitting still eagerly as he stared at the familiar people, he had no idea why people screamed and freaked out when he arrived. It was probably his giant sword that scared them or maybe he brought back memories of what happened last time.

Mao Mao felt a warm feeling in his heart once again when he saw his old friend. He would never admit it but he had missed Bao very much. The dog was his first friend ever, the first person to care about him, unlike his father…

Not wanting to go back to his childhood, Mao Mao shook his head to clear his thoughts. The feline stepped forward and put on a brave face, “What are you doing back here, you traitor!” He said in a mix of his hurtful yet happy feelings.

Bao Bao tilted his head but then dived right for Mao Mao, cuddling into him and licking his face. Adorabat and Badgerclops laughed at the sight.

The young bat closed her eyes joyfully, “I think he’s trying to say sorry to you, dad!” She cheered.

Badgerclops nodded with an amused look, “Yeah man, you can’t be too upset at him, he’s just a dog.”

Mao Mao grumbled and sat up, still keeping his eyes on his old partner. The cat coughed at awkwardly sat down next to him, “So uh, wonderful weather we’re having.” He started.

Adorabat and Badgerclops face palmed at their friend, barely believing that he _really did just say that._

Bao Bao barked in response, his eyes slowly trailing over a flying creature besides him.

The three sheriffs noticed just in time what the dog was looking at, Mao Mao held him down gently.

“No, No, bad dog! No butterflies!” Mao scolded, feeling slightly stupid that he didn’t see why Bao ran away in the first place.

His family held the same look of realization.

Bao Bao eventually got the message and went back to giving his cat friend affection. Mao Mao slowly got more comfortable and gave the puppy some head pats.

Adorabat turned to Badgerclops and smiled; “Now we know why Bao Bao was running away! Maybe we can train him now?” She asked with hope.

Badgerclops chuckled, “Yeah, I think we can do that.”

Meanwhile Mao Mao overheard his friends’ conversations and he decided it couldn’t hurt to try and train Bao.

After all, dogs were easy to train, cats were not.

Mao stood up and his small partner followed him with interest, clearly liking the idea of going with him.

The legendary hero took a deep breath, “We’ll try to train Bao Bao.” He agreed easily, bending down and petting the canine.

Adorabat and Badgerclops jumped up in victory, hoping beyond all hope that this would work. They knew Mao Mao missed his old friend.

The group pulled out a phone and all took a photo together, officially commemorating their first memory with Bao Bao.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and take care!


	8. Kidnapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adorabat finds herself in some trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Kidnapping (Though that should be obvious from the title.)

Adorabat whimpered in fear as Orangusnake tightened her bounds. She had no idea how she got into this mess, one minute she was battling alongside her friends and the next thing she knew she was with the Sky Pirates. 

The hybrid leader smirked in satisfaction, “There we go, now, are you going to cooperate?” He asked with a growl.

Adorabat swallowed down any pride she had left in her. She was just a child after all; it was natural that she was going to be afraid.

She bit her lip, “What do you want with me?” She asked fearfully.

He simply chuckled as he waved his other two comrades into the room, “We want you to join us, we saw how powerful you can be, and your flight abilities are useful as well. You’re at such a young age, if we start training you now then, by the time you’re an adult you’ll be a pro.”

Adorabat’s childish instincts came back for a moment, “I’m not that young! I’m seven years old!” She exclaimed.

Boss Hosstrich cooed, “Aw, she is really cute.”

Ramaraffe slapped him, “We’re not supposed to be friendly with her!”

Orangusnake rolled his eyes at the two, “Stop bickering and go be on lookout! We know those fake heroes are going to try and save her.” He said, waving them off. 

Adorabat huffed her cheeks in anger, “They aren’t fake! They protect an entire kingdom! You’re the fake one with no skill!” She yelled. No one talked about her dads that way!

They hybrid simply rolled his eyes and pressed a button on the ship keyboard. A giant laser sprouted out and pointed downwards towards the valley.

Orangusnake scowled, “If you talk back to me again, I will personally shoot down your entire kingdom! Now, cooperate!”

Adorabat gasped and developed tears in her eyes, “Y-You’re monster with no heart!” She cried.

He fanned himself, “Why, thank you. I’m so flattered.” He grinned, “Now will you submit and do as we tell you?”

Adorabat was faced with the toughest decision in her entire, short life. On one hand, If she didn’t back down, there was a chance the entire Pure Heart Valley could pay the price.

On the other hand, if she submitted, that would be betraying her family and those she’s sworn to protect.

While both options were very bad, it was obvious which one she had to choose.

She took a deep breath, “I-”

“GIVE ME BACK MY CHILD!”

The owner of the voice swooped in and delivered a sharp blow to Orangusnake’s stomach, knocking him to the ground. 

Adorabat felt tears of relief in her eyes, “Mao Mao!” She screamed.

Mao continued to slice and kick at his opponent until the cat was sure he was down. He chopped off the bat’s restraints and picked her up, hugging her closely.

He wanted to tell her so many things but first, they had to get out of there.

Mao Mao put away his sword started to run, glaring back at Adorabat’s previous captor, “AND DON’T YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!” He screamed, wincing at how much his voice hurt.

Adorabat held onto her dad tightly, trembling, “T-They have a laser! What if he wakes up and uses it?” She asked.

Mao Mao hugged his deputy tighter, giving her a shaky yet reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Badgerclops disabled it permanently and he’s outside right now waiting for us on the Aero Cycle.” He explained, sprinting faster when he saw the exit.

They eventually made it outside with no trouble, thanks to Mao Mao knocking out the other two villains on his way there, and hopped on the flying bike.

Badgerclops sighed with relief when he saw that his adoptive daughter was safe and unharmed, and started up the Aero Cycle.

Adorabat cried into Mao Mao and Badgerclops from her spot in between them. Mao gave her comforting pats and cuddles, while Badgerclops tried his hardest to focus on driving despite wanting to embrace the baby bat.

When they all made it home, the two dads gently placed their daughter on the couch, continuing to comfort her from the traumatic experience.

Mao Mao started purring to calm her, “Whenever you’re ready, you can tell us anything, we’re just so glad you’re safe. We were so worried about you, honey.” He said endearingly.

Badgerclops nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I was freaking out internally the whole time I was deactivating their machine. Though in all honesty, they should have invested more money into it. It was so easy to stop.” He lightly chuckled.

Adorabat giggled with him and cuddled closer into her family. After a single beat, Adorabat sniffled slightly,

“I couldn’t find a way out. They gave me the choices of hurting you guys or joining them. I-I was about to join them and I feel so guilty! I could have betrayed you.” She said sadly.

Mao Mao immediately turned the child to face him, he talked a little firmer, “Don’t you ever say that! You had no choice and you just trying to protect everyone! That’s what a hero does, and you’re a true hero.” He said, hugging her, never wanting to let go.

Badgerclops frantically nodded his head, “Yeah, dude, you’re amazing! You tried everything you could to do what was best and you swallowed you’re pride and acted like a hero. We’re proud of you!”

Adorabat counted her blessings that day, she not only escaped an uncertain doom, but she realized that she had the best family in the entire world!

Adorabat relaxed against her dads, “Thanks guys. You’re the best.” She said with a yawn.

Truthfully, they all realized something that day.

They would always be happy and safe, as long as they were together.


	9. Self Worth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mao Mao is not always okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This contains depression and acts of self harm. I wrote this to try and deal with my own issues, so if you're sensitive to this topic, please back out now.

On a Sunday morning, Mao Mao woke up with not only a splintering headache; he was going through _it _again. He groaned as he cursed his fragile mental state, he hated getting like this.

The worst part was convincing his friends that he was okay, (_He is not okay.) _and having to force food down so they didn’t worry.

_The last thing they need is to get caught up in my problems, _he thought.

He really hoped that if Adorabat ever found out what he was going through, that she wouldn’t get influenced. Again, the last thing he wanted was to get them caught up in his problems. He most definitely didn’t want Adorabat getting depressed because of his stupid mistakes.

Sometimes he truly hated himself.

Going to therapy helped him, of course, but it could only do so much. Mao still had reoccurring nightmares and bad dreams of his childhood. How his father would just _dismiss _him and spend time with Mao Mao’s sisters. 

His father sometimes acted like he never should have been born, that he was just one more mouth to feed, that he was just taking up his sibling’s precious space.

His sisters pretended to care, pretended to love him, but Mao Mao knew that they valued their training and dad’s approval above all else.

His father, weather he meant to or not, made Mao Mao feel like he was never worth it. He may think highly of himself sometimes, but once and while it’s a little forced, because deep down he knows he is truly nothing.

_I really am pathetic._

The tears he’s worked so hard to keep in threatened to spill like a broken dam. Mao Mao sat up from his bed, slowly walking towards the bathroom, and he made sure to slowly close the door so no one would hear him.

Finally, the most painful step, Mao looked at himself in the mirror.

_Disgusting, you know you’re worth nothing. It’s time to count for your pitiful mistakes._

He nodded to himself as he slowly opened the bathroom drawer, grimacing slightly as he pulled out a brand new, shiny razor.

As he took it with his left hand, the cat paused for a moment, what was he doing? He never went as far as to hurt himself but right now, the thought felt so tempting. Like the feeling of someone holding out a cat treat towards you, but quickly pulling it up as you reach to grab it.

_I shouldn’t be doing this. _

That’s what the logical part of his brain was telling him, to put the sharp blade down and just go back to bed. He could tell it was only about 6 in the morning.

But another part of him was telling his to do it, to punish himself for never being good enough, to count every action he has ever took, and cut himself.

_Would anyone even care? Would they notice?_

Mao Mao’s tears flowed freely at the thought, of course of friends would care, right?

_No they wouldn’t, you pathetic excuse for a hero._

With that hurtful thought, Mao Mao swiped down his left hand, attempting to block out the emotional pain with physical.

Somehow, he felt sick satisfaction watching his own blood slowly trail down his matted fur. But he also flinched at the pain. It was way better enduring then his emotional trauma though.

With trembling hands, he brought down the blade once more, sobbing as he felt himself slowly start to become exhausted.

He did it a third time, gasping at the sharpness, and he dragged the blade down haphazardly. He took a moment to stare at his injuries before sliding down onto the floor.

_You’re not done yet. Keep going, you’ve made so many terrible mistakes._

He cried out again in frustration and pain, not realizing that his voice was louder than before. He sank down low but kept the blade tight in his grip. He needs to keep going, he just feels like he _needs _to, no matter the cost.

He weakly raised the blade up again, his vision swarming and his senses over stimulating.

When he was about to swipe down again, strong yet comforting arms pulled him into a hug, and they took the razor out of his grip.

Mao Mao looked up to see a crying Badgerclops.

Mao Mao lowered his head in shame, feeling like crap for worrying his best friend so much. He leaned into the embrace, starting to cry as well.

The legendary hero hiccuped, “It hurts so much.”

Badgerclops rubbed Mao’s back reassuringly, knowing that his friend was talking about his emotional pain, not his physical, “I know, but it’s all going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it.” He promised.

And little did Mao Mao know, Badgerclops would fulfill that promise. No matter what it took.


End file.
